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Governor lists priorities for year

Calls for unity from state, lawmakers

Gov. John Hickenlooper delivers his State of the State speech in the House chambers at the Colorado State Capitol Thursday (Andy Cross / The Denver Post)

Gov. John Hickenlooper Thursday asked state lawmakers to set aside divisive politics and work toward the state's common good during the annual state of the state address.

Hickenlooper's 41-minute speech recounted the state's continuing economic recovery despite a past year of fires, floods, a school shooting in Arapahoe County and the murder of his Department of Corrections chief, Tom Clements.

But Colorado's story is not about the tragedies of the past year, the governor said. "Our story is about how we came together and have been getting it done. Our story is that we have learned that we are at our best, that Colorado is at her best, when we are connected to one another, working together."

"Moving forward, our priorities are clear. We are going to remain focused on jobs, education and ensuring that we have a state that is as healthy as it is fiscally sound" through improvements in state government service and efficiency. He did ask lawmakers to pass legislation on high-speed Internet access for rural communities and other unserved parts of the state, and to extend a job-creation tax credit from five years to seven. The governor lent his support to Senate Bill 14-001, which proposes $100 million for higher education with 6 percent cap on tuition rate increases.

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He also asked legislators to pass a bill to strengthen penalties for oil and gas companies that violate state permits and rules, but did not call for expanding those rules. The Hickenlooper administration plans to complete a Colorado water plan this year that would emphasize conservation, incremental storage and drought mitigation. "We must create alternative choices to buy-and-dry. No matter where we live, we cannot afford to let our farm and ranch land dry up," he said.

On the issue of guns, which cost him two Democratic state senators in November through recalls and the resignation of a third to avoid a recall, Hickenlooper called for increased attention to mental health services.

Much of Hickenlooper's speech focused on what his administration has accomplished in the past three years and the state of the Colorado economy." The state of our state is strong," he said, pointing to four consecutive years of economic growth, an unemployment rate at its lowest levels since 2008 and the state's ranking among the top five states for business, careers and job growth. The state hosted a record number of tourists in 2013, he said, including more hunters. Ag exports have increased 80 percent in the last four years and contributed $41 billion to the state economy.

His administration has launched strategies to create a more business-friendly environment, and he noted a recent decision by Ardent Mills to locate its company in Colorado. "Landing Ardent Mills is a little like winning the Super Bowl — or at least the Flour Bowl — especially for rural communities," he explained.

Hickenlooper closed his address with a moving tribute to Clements, who was murdered in April 2013 by an inmate recently paroled directly from administrative segregation. "Tom's story and life is not defined by what happened to him but by the immense good he achieved and his legacy of love and compassion and reform. [He] was a public servant. He walked the walk of public service every day."

Reaction to Hickenlooper's speech was generally positive. "He's focusing on what we need to: to unite and keep our job growth and economic recovery going, invest in education and work well together," said Senate President Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora).

"We all want job growth and we all want businesses to be successful," said House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso (R-Loveland). If there's legislation that comes forward that does that," his caucus hopes they can support it. But it needs to be legislation that helps all of the state, he added.

"He set the right tone," said Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino (D-Denver). "...This speech is greater than any one policy" and is about "understanding the greatness of our state. We're all in this together...it's the uplifting tone we need for this session."

Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling) said he thought it was "the best state of the state speech" he'd ever heard. It was "solid, he recognized people who needed recognized, and highlighted the positive of Colorado, including agriculture... My only concern is whether the Democrats listened" to the governor's request to rebuild relationships, not have a divisive year and help rural Colorado.

Sonnenberg also noted that while the governor talked about job growth, the vast majority of that job growth is in the oil and gas industry and "we need to make sure we do not curtail that growth by over-regulating" it.

Sen. Greg Brophy (R-Wray) had a very different view. "It was a hollow speech. He owes us an apology... he stands up here and asks us not to be divisive when he was the chief divider last year," he told this reporter. Brophy said the governor could have vetoed three bills last year (on guns and the renewable energy standard for rural electric co-ops) and "he'd be cruising to re-election."

The governor took credit for economic growth that is naturally occurring in a growing entrepreneurial economy and won't apologize for his "blatant failure to lead," Brophy said. "He tells less than half the story of his tenure as governor." Brophy is running for governor on the Republican ticket with five other candidates.

In their opening day remarks Wednesday, legislative leaders called for passage of bills on flood and wildfire relief and mitigation. But Democrats also made it clear they do not plan to support any changes to some of the controversial bills from last year. Although he did not mention any specific bill, Ferrandino told the House that "now not the time to take a step backward, to relitigate the fights of the past."

DelGrosso noted that while the state overall is experiencing economic recovery, rural communities and the Western Slope have not. DelGrosso called for support for regulatory reform and investment in roads and bridges. He also asked lawmakers to support Republican-sponsored bills that would either repeal or change SB 13-252, the renewable energy bill; and legislation to add hydroelectric power to the list of renewable resources included in the standard.

DelGrosso also reminded House members that the minority party represents more than two million Coloradans and that those lawmakers and their constituents should be heard. "Colleagues, policy disagreements are expected under the gold dome, but when legislation, rushed through with no bipartisan support, causes recall elections and secession movements, this legislative body is failing Colorado," he said.

Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman (R-Colorado Springs) also spoke to the divisive politics of the past year and that he hoped the Senate would not repeat that history.

The math formula is wrong, he said. "Democrats divided by Republicans does not produce outcomes that are representative of this state. In addition to the historic events [recalls, battles over guns, taxes and SB 252], that formula produced a hyper-partisan toxin that affected this entire institution, those who serve here and all who visited here [and] we started looking like Congress."

"Working together was not unusual" during the 2013 session, according to Carroll. Despite the controversial bills, Senate Democrats and Republicans worked together on a number of important issues, such as implementing Amendment 64 (marijuana legalization regulations), expanding Medicaid and health care in rural Colorado and in-state tuition for all Colorado residents, a bill she said passed with Brophy's support. Carroll asked that the Senate "defy expectations," skip the "shouting matches" and problem-solve during this year's session.

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